Table cover for holding playing cards



Feb. 27, 1962 3,023,005v

L. HOCHMAN TABLE COVER FOR HOLDING PLAYING CARDS Filed April 14., 1960 FIG. I.

INVENTOR LEONARD HO HMAN AT TORNEYS.

United States atent Qt Card games are frequently played in the open-air and predetermined relation to the players; (2) which will facilitate introducing, holding and removing the cards from the holding means; (3) wherein the card holding means will not interfere with the dealing or distribution of the cards; (4) which is flexible and waterproof and may be readily folded into a relatively small and compact volume when not in use; (5) which is reversible for use on either side; (6) upon which the card holding means are readily replaceable should they become worn or otherwise inoperative; and (7) which can be manufactured and sold at a price commensurate with its utility.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, not specifically enumerated, I accomplish by forming the table cover of flexible material with a cushioned or padded backing and providing said cover with removable tensioned elastic bands extending in predetermined relation to the perimeter of the cover for receiving and holding cards and for facilitating folding the cover into small compass and having relatively stiff elements for cooperation with the elastic bands for preventing puckering of the flexible material of the cover when the elastic bands are stretched in the course of inserting one or more cards thereunder.

The invention will be better understood from the detailed description which follows, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a game table cover, partly broken away, embodying my invention applied over the top of a card table.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, on a much enlarged scale, taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIG. 2 showing a modification of the card holding means.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 1t designates a table cover embodying the invention, said cover consisting of a panel 11 and depending skirt portions 12, the ends of which are connected together by elastic tapes 13 for holding the cover on a card table top 14, having a configuration substantially corresponding to the panel 11. Mounted on the panel 11 in predetermined relation to the positions which the players will occupy around the table are a plurality of card holding means 15 adapted for holding, introducing and removing cards from the cover.

The table cover 16 is preferably made of any suitable flexible material such as water-proofed fabric, suitable 3,023,9h5 Patented Feb. 27, 1962 sheet plastic or sheet plastic having a padded back 10a which is secured to the sheet plastic by quilting 10b or other suitable means. The free edges of the skirt portions may be bound with tape 10c to provide a finished appearance to the cover. Where the cover is made to be reversible, it is formed of two sheets of flexible material disposed in back-to-back relation and suitably secured together.

The card holding means 15 each preferably consists of an elastic band 16, and a semi-flexible or relatively stiff flat strip 17 resembling a medial tongue depresser, so related, that the elastic band when held under tension will not cause puckering of the flexible panel of the cover. To hold the elastic bands under tension they are each mounted to extend through a pair of eyelets 18 which also functions to unite the strips 17 to the panel 11 and to hold the sheets of the cover material in backto-back relation, as best shown in FIG. 2. If desired, additional means such as eyelets or rivets 18a disposed over the area of the panel 11 may be employed for holding the sheet material of the panel against puckering. The elastic bands are preferably formed at their ends with interengaging means 19, 1% for detachably securing the ends together after said ends have been passed through a pair of eyelets 18. Preferably the elastic bands are round in transverse section to facilitate the introduction of one or more cards thereunder by a sliding motion and to hold such cards firmly against the surface of the panel.

Preferably the panel is provided with a plurality of pairs of the equally spaced eyelets 18, each pair being intended to accommodate an elastic band and said pairs of eyelets being disposed over the panel in predetermined relation depending upon the specific card game or games intended to be played thereon. For example, with the card holding means 15 arranged as shown in FIG. 1, i.e., with one such card holding means parallel to each of the sides of the table and at least one such card holding means disposed along the diagonals of the panel, the cover would be suitable for playing such games as 2, 3 or 4 hand Pinochle, Rummy, Gin Rummy and the like. Preferably also, where it may be desired to hold a stack of cards at substantially the central region of the table, a card holding means (not shown) analogous to 15 may be provided. It is also desirable to so dispose the card holding means 15 in relation to the panel so as to permit folding of the cover along imaginary lines a--a, bb, c-c, and d-d, parallel to the edges of the panel 11, so that the cover may be folded along said imaginary lines into a relatively small and compact volume for transport or storage.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4, the ends of the elastic" band 16 are provided with hook like members 20 adapted to engage through and over a pair of eyelets 18 to detachably hold an elastic band under tension over the exposed or playing surface of the cover.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that I have provided a cover for a card game table or the like adapted for use in playing card games in the open and accomplishing the various objects set forth in the opening statement of the specification.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A cover for a card game table comprising a panel of flexible material having means for holding the cover on a table top, said panel being provided with a plurality of pairs of spaced eyelets, strips of relatively stiff material rearwardly of the face of said panel, a separate strip spanning each pair of eyelets and secured thereby to the panel and elastic bands tensioned over the face of said panel in overlying relation. to each strip with each band extending through the pair of eyelets in each strip.

2. A cover according to claim 1, wherein the elastic bands are formed with ends adapted to be anchored to hold them under tension.

3. A cover according to claim 1, wherein the elastic bands are formed with ends having means thereat for detachably securing said ends together.

4. A cover according to claim 1, wherein the panel is substantially rectangular, has at least one elastic band disposed in substantially parallel adjacent relation to each edge of the panel and at least two elastic bands disposed in aligned relation along a diagonal of the panel.

5. A cover for a card game table comprising a panel of flexible material having means for holding the cover on a table top, said panel having a padded backing and being provided with a plurality of pairs of spaced eyelets, fiat strips of relatively stiff material rearwardly of the face of the padding of said panel, a separate strip spanning each pair of eyelets and secured thereby to the panel and elastic bands tensioned over the face of said panel in overlying relation to each strip with each band being of curved transverse section and extending through the pair of eyelets in each strip.

6. A reversible cover for a card game table comprising a panel formed or" two flexible sheets having padded backing secured together in back-to-back relation and with means for holding the cover on a table top, the sheets being secured together, at least in part, by a plurality of pairs of spaced eyelets, strips of fiat stiff material between the fiexible sheets spanning each pair of eyelets and secured thereby to the sheets of the panel and elastic bands tensioned over an exposed face of the panel, each elastic band extending through a pair of eyelets. v 7. A cover according to claim 6, wherein the panel is substantially rectangular, has at least one elastic band disposed in substantially parallel adjacent relation to each edge of the panel and at least two elastic bands disposed in aligned relation along a diagonal of the panel.

8. A cover according to claim 7, wherein the disposition of the strips of stiff material is such as to permit folding the cover along imaginary lines substantially parallel to the edges of the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 553,741 Thompson Jan, 28, 1896 1,462,471 Alpiner July 24, 1923 2,300,333 Barton Oct. 27, 1942 2,491,894 Fox Dec. 20, 1949 

